Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-03-07
YOUNG ABBDTT'S $1,000 MEAL.
The Government Will Not Restore the
Bond He Ate Up.

The Government Will Not Restore the
Bond He Alto Up.
Chicago Tribune.
The case of Joseph Abbott, the Chica-
goan who swallowed $1,000 bond, and
made application to the government for
the issue of a duplicate, presents some
interesting features aside from the de-
tails given in the Washington dispatches.
1t is matter of history that men have
swallowed articles of great value in Or
der to save them; but diamonds and state
dispatches we're usually the materials of
the repasts in question. II is also told that
az old farmer, upon visit to the
city, put his "wad" Of greenbacks in his
tobacco-boX for safekeeping, and in q tit
of abstraction masticated goodly roll of
currency, remarking at the time that it
was pretty durn poor terbacker." 4
few years ago a cashboy in Gossage's dry
goods store laid hands on a $40 bill, and
10 avoid detection CheWed and swallowed
it. He afterward confessed, and, as the
unusual diet made him pretty sick, the
firm let him # without further punish
ment. Young bloods about town have
been known to light a cigar with 8 So
bill, but $1,000 meal, like AbbOtt's, Is
not at all in the ordinary run.
Moses J. Wentworth is Abbott's at
torney, and the story he tells Is that Alb
| bOtt IS about twenty-five years of age,
and up to August &c, 1883, was the coat
room boy at the Clifton house. He had
been in the empty OF the house for
twelve years, sud had saved every cent Of
mis- wages until he had laid by $500.
| This amount ne had invested in United
States bonds, and he kept them seCreted
in the coat room of the hotel, where he
worked Gays and slent nights, The boy
made his savings the one Idea of his life,
end gradually worked himself into q state
Of mind bordering on insanity, so great
WAS his fear OF being robbed. In fact,
for some tine before the date in question
! his employers noticed that he was sppa-
reutIy somewhat off" but as he attend
ed faithfully to his duties but little atten-
ton was paid to his behavior. About
midnight somebody wanted to get into
the courtroom ana pounded on the door.
Abbott was Weakened suddenly from a
sound sleep, and, supposlng that burglars
were after his treasures, went raVing
crazy. He shrieked for help, and made q
great noise, but would allow no one to
enter the room. 1t became necessary to
call the police, and Abbott was carried off
violently insane. He WAS tried, pro
I nOunce0 insane, and taken to the kanka-
kee Asylum. After ten months he was
pronounced cured and discharged. He
fcarne to Chicago, aud the $500 in bonds
which had been found in the courtroom
were restored to him. lie then told
Mr.. WoJdcoCk, the proprietor, that
he had swallowed & $1,000 bond the
night in question il paroXysm of
! fear, and showed him a tally on the wall
where he kept 4 record OF his bonds
| Other corrobora!ivc evidence convinced
/ Mr.. WoodcOck that the boys story was
true, and he had so much confidence in
/ his honesty and truthfulncSS that among
| the documents sent on to Washington
was an affidavit. by Mir Woodcock declar-
! Ing his belief III the truth of the State
ment, ana offering to sign an indemnity
| bond 70 the Government. The Govern
ment officials were seemingly convinced
of the entire truihfulness Of the story,
! but construed the law TO cover only acct
dental destruction of bonds, whereas in
this case the destruction was intentional.
Abbott is now in the city and will proba-
bly, hereafter lake better if not so per-
s0ual care OF his savings. The case is
the Old saying, in different form, to the
effect that "You can't eat your cake and
have it toO.n